USA > Pennsylvania > Northumberland County > Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 1 > Part 85
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110
Daniel S. Schreffler was born Dee. 26, 1860, son of Daniel and Sallie Schreffler. He worked with his father until he attained his majority, in the spring of 1882 becoming a tenant farmer in Lower Augusta township. where he remained for six veals. Moving across the Line Mountain into Washington township, he farmed near Rebuck for the next three years, in the spring of 1890 pur- ehasing his unele's farm of 14+ acres, good land. where he lived until he retired from the more
1
£
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
arduous work of life. He built the dwelling and She was the mother of two children, Margaret summer house now standing on that property and Ann and Isaiah C., the former of whom became made a number of other improvements which ma- the wife of Franklin C. Pardoe. Mr. Rishel's seeond marriage was to Raehel Crossley, daugh- ter of Joseph and Catharine ( Heinebaeh) Cross- ley; Joseph Crossley's father came from England. One ehild was born to this union, Joseph C. terially added to its value, having a well kept farm, which he sold in the fall of 1909. He then purchased a residenee in which his father lived and died, at Leck Kill, and moved there in the spring of 1910. He has given up the more trying labors and is now spending his time in partial re -. tirement. Mr. Schreffler has taken considerable interest in the welfare of his locality, and served efficiently as school director for one term of three years and as auditor for many years. In politics he is a Democrat. in religion a Intheran niember of St. John's Chureh, to which his family also belong.
In 1881 Mr. Sehreffler married Hattie Eister, daughter of Peter and Mary ( Bohner) Eister, of Augusta township, this county, and they have four children : Mary E., now the wife of Lewis Snyder ; William J., who married Jennie Snyder and lived in Upper Mahanoy township; Daniel E., and Carrie M.
.
RISHEL. Isaiah C. and Joseph C. Rishel, brothers, both now retired farmers living in Chil- lisquaque township, Northumberland county, are descended from a family which has long been established in America. Its founder in this eoun- try was Heinrich Ulrich Rishel, a native of Ger- many, who came to America in 1753 and settled in Bucks county, Pa. He was the father of six sons, Jacob, Leonard, Ludwig, Martin Luther. Michael and William, all of whom served in the Revolutionary war, William holding the rank of eaptain. After the war two of these sous, Michael and Martin Luther, came to Montour county, Pa .. and took up land, Martin Luther Rishel settling in Liberty township. Two of his sons were Jaeob and John, and there were evidently other children.
John Rishel, son of Martin Luther. married Esther Swartz, and a little later moved to Colum- bia county, Pa., where he followed farming. This couple had the following children : Jonathan, Ben- jamin, Peter, John, Lydia (married Lewis Kauff- man), Hester .(married Daniel Bloom). David. and Jeremiah ( who died en route to California in 18-49).
ISAIAH C. RISHEL was born Nov. 18, 1834, in Liberty township, Montour Co., Pa., and there re- ceived his education in the publie sehools. His early life was spent on his father's farm, and in time he purchased the property in West Chillis- quaque township, Northumberland county, where he has continued to reside to the present time. He is a Democrat, and served many years as mem- ber of the sehool board, has been assessor, overseer of the poor and road . supervisor. In religious matters he and his family are Lutherans, belong- ing to the church at Pottsgrove. On Feb. 2, 1860, Mr. Rishel married Christiann Giffen, who was born Nov. 29, 1834. and their union has been blessed with five children: Anna Margaret mar- ried M. O. Fairehilds and has children, B. Miller, James Rishel, Elmer Ellsworth and Margaret Christine; Mary married Clarence A. Grove; James Giffen married Maggie Elizabeth Pardoe; Ella May married Hugh Maek, who is now de- ceased ; Saralı Alexander married Clarence Fores- man and has one child, Mary Fredrica.
James Giffen, grandfather of Mrs. Isaiah C. Rishel, was born in Delaware county, Pa., moved thenee to Montour county and later to Northum- berland county. He married Sarah Alexander, and they were the parents of seven children, born as follows : Nancy, April 14, 1800 ( died in 1861) ; Robert A., Sept. 23, 1801: Margaret, Oct. 1, 1803: Jolin, Nov. 23, 1805; Mary, Oet. 16. 1807 (mar- ried Daniel Kerr) ; James, Sept. 3, 1809 (died young) ; Thomas M., Nov. 17, 1812.
John Giffen, born Nov. 23, 1805. married Mar- garet McMahan, and they had the following fan- ily: Christiann, Mrs. Rishel; James O., born March 3, 1837, who died Feb. 10, 1906; Jane M., horn Nov. 27, 1841, who married Thomas Watson and (second) Rev. Charles Park; Samuel Mc- Mahan, born May 2, 1844, who lives in Michigan : and John Robert, born May 2, 1849, who lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
JOSEPH C. RISHEL was born Jan. 17, 1843, in Liberty township, Montour Co., Pa., and was reared on his father's farm. His education was obtained in the schools of his native township, and he has followed farming all his life. For eighteen years he cultivated his father's land, in 1887 pur- chasing the place of 103 acres in East Chillisqua- que township, Northumberland county, which he has since owned and occupied. He bought this property from James Frederick, and it was part Jonathan Rishel, son of John, was born July 14, 1808, and during his boyhood attended pay school in the home loeality. When a young man he worked on his father's farm. and later learned the trade of wheelwright, which he continued to. follow all his life in connection with farming. Hc died March 28. 1886. His first wife. Ann (Crites), who died May 10, 1837, aged twenty- six years, nine months. twenty-two days, was a daughter of Adam and Susannah Crites, the forua- er of whom died in 1848, at the age of seventy- of the large tract owned by the latter's family. three, the latter in 1854, at the age of eighty-one. Mr. Rishel has now relinquished active work, his
.
378
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
son John operating the farm, which is in a high died April 30, 1847. They were the parents of state of cultivation. On May 18, 1891, the dwell- the following children : Michael, Paul, John, Nich- ing, a fine brick house, was destroyed by fire, and olas, Isaac, Benjamin, Susanna (died unmarried) Mr. Rishel immediately rebuilt, upon the old and Elizabeth (who married Abraham Lenker). Of these, foundation, having a handsome, up-to-date home, which is a great improvement on the property and Michael Lahr lived in Dalmatia. He was mar- ried but had. no family. He is buried at Stone Valley Church. a credit to the locality. He and his wife have always taken the deepest interest in everything affecting the welfare of the community and its Paul Lahr lived near Lewisburg, Pa., where he is buried. He married Molly Bordner, and their children were: Henry, Paul, Nicholas, William, Frank and Kate. advancement, being progressive, intelligent peo- ple, and they are consistent and active members of the Lutheran church, in which he has been an elder for some years. When a young man he was John Lahr lived along the Susquehanna, above Dalmatia, on the farm now owned by the Schlegel brothers. His wife's maiden name was Schaffer, and they are buried at Georgetown. They had children : Elizabeth married Benjamin Byerly; Sarah married Josiah Schwartz. elected church trustee, and he served as a mem- ber of the building committee when the church at Pottsgrove was erected. He has served his town- ship as school director and overseer of the poor, filling the latter office for sixteen years. Political- ly he is a Democrat.
On Dec. 27, 1866, Mr. Rishel married Sarah Jane Frederick, daughter of Isaac Frederick and member of a prominent family of this section, and they have had two children: (1) Julia married George Fairchild and has five children, Sarah, Pearl, George, Kate and Lester. (2) John mar- ried Ellen Morrow and they have one child, Catha- rine. He farms the homestead and is one of the substantial young citizens of the township, which he has served as school director for one term of three years and was recently reelected for a similar period.
LAHR. The Lahr family is one of the old families of Northumberland county, particularly numerous in the counties south of Line Moun- tain, in that region of Pennsylvania, and well represented among the substantial citizens of this section: But its origin is difficult to trace. It is believed that all the Lahrs mentioned in this article are of common ancestry ; at any rate their forefathers in this region seem to have been of the same stock, although it is impossible from the material at hand to ascertain accurately what re- lation existed between them. There are evidently three distinct branches of the family in Northum- berland county, the posterity of Danicl. Paul and George Lahr, who, according to tradition, were related, though how is not quite certain. Daniel and George were probably first cousins, and Paul it appears was the brother of Daniel, but this is not corroborated.
.
Paul Lahr, born July 11, 1781, died April ?, 1847, and is buried in the cemetery of the Stone Valley Church, of which church he was a Lutheran member. He was a farmer, living near Dalmatia, wherethe owned a tract of 145 acres now the prop- erty of Nelson Gayman, of Sunbury. The maiden name of his wife, Elizabeth, was either Bubb or Lenker, and she, too, is buried at Zion's Stone Valley Church, She was born Nov. 2, 1786, and
Isaac Lahr, born July 7, 1820, died Sept. 4, 1883, and is buried at Stone Valley Church. He lived above Dalmatia, at what is now the home of his son John. His wife, Elizabeth (Michael), born Jan. 26, 1817, died Jan. 10, 1885, the mother of these children :
Michael (born 1849, died 1862), John, Sophia (mar- ried . Isaac Campbell) and Isaac. The son John, born in 1851 in Lower Mahanoy township, follows in his father's footsteps, being a farmer, but he also does considerable carpenter work, be- ing an excellent mechanic and in demand as such in his neighborhood. He owns the old homestead, and is identified with the old Stone Valley Church where so many of the name have attended re- ligious worship, being a Lutheran member thereof. To him and his wife Hannah (Boyer) have been born five children : Lizzie, Annie, Susan, Mary and John A.
Peter Lahır located in Snyder county, Pa., near Richfield. He had a number of children.
Daniel Lahr, a farmer, lived in Jackson town- ship, one mile south of Herndon, owning the farm which is now the property of Robert L. Rieger. but which Mr. Lahr sold to Christian Albert and his son Isaac. The house on the place was used for hotel purposes during the building of the Northern Central railroad, being known as the "Blue Ball Hotel." Daniel Lalır died on this farm Dec. 15, 1844, and is buried at Zion's Stone Valley Church. His wife Sophia (Brosius) born July 1, 1785, died Dec. 29, 1859, and is buried at Dalmatia. They had children as follows: Joseph, born May 20, 1816. lived where Robert L. Rieger now resides, and died Oct. 20, 1855, unmarried ; George B., born in 1823, died at Dalmatia in 1906 (his wife Louisa Bordner, born in 1836, died in 1903) ; Daniel W. is mentioned below; Catharine married George Shaffer; Lydia married Jacob Shaffer.
379
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
George B. Lahr, son of Daniel, was born in however, he became a boatman on the Pennsyl- 1823, in Jackson township, and was brought up vania State canal, which ran between Sunbury, on the farm. But when quite young he became a woodsman, and he continued to work at lumber- ing until about 1880, when he resumed the occu- pation of his youth. When a young man he walked to Jersey Shore, in upper Pennsylvania, where he found work in the lumber woods, and he de- veloped considerable ability in the more skilled branches of the labor, being able with a broadax to square trees into shape ready for building pur- poses. After 1880 he purchased Ash island, at Dalmatia, which he farmed until his death, in
. 1906. He accumulated considerable property, owning several houses and a farm at Dalmatia at the time of his death, and he was enterprising and thrifty in the management of his affairs. His wife, Louisa (Bordner), daughter of Jonathan Bordner (whose wife was a Kiehl), of Lower Mahanoy township, was born in 1836, and died in 1903. They are buried at Dalmatia. Fourteen children were born to this couple: James W., George H., Jonathan, Jacob, Daniel (deceased), J. Michael, Eva Elizabeth (married John Het- rick), Sarah Alice (married George Rutter), Lou- isa (died young), triplets (one son and two daugh- ters) that died in infancy, and two others that died young.
JACOB LAHR, son of George B. and Louisa (Bordner) Lahr, was born Oct. 2, 1861, in Lower Mahanoy township, in the house next to his present home at Dalmatia. He spent his boyhood and youth at home in Dalmatia (then better known as Georgetown), working on the farm for his father until he was twenty-five years old. For another twenty years he continued to engage in farm work, but since 1907 he has devoted himself to shoemaking and repairing at Dalmatia. His home at that place, which he owns, was built by himself and his father in 189.4. Mr. Lahr is a respected and industrious citizen, giving all his time to his personal affairs, and taking no part in publie life, having always refused official prefer- ment of any kind. He is a Republican in politics, a member of the Jr. O. U. A. M. at Dalmatia, .and with his family holds membership in the Lutheran congregation of Dalmatia Church, to which his father and mother also belonged. They are buried at that chureh.
On July 18, 1885, Mr. Lahr married Sarah C. Doney, daughter of Israel and Sarah (Campbell) Doney, and eight children have been born to them, namely : Laura L. (married Harvey Geist), Sarah E. (married to Howard Chubb), Alice L., Emma V. (dicd young). Mary C., Jacob I., George E. (died young) and Ralph M.
Daniel W. Lahr, brother of George B. and son of Daniel and Sophia Lahr, was born March 31, 1826. in what is now Lower Mahanoy township, and was reared to farm life. At an early age,
Pa., and Havre de Grace, Md. It was while en- gaged in this occupation that he contracted rheumatism, inflammatory rheumatism eventually causing his death. After living for a time on the place now occupied by Robert L. Rieger (his father's old homestead), he moved to Snyder county, where he lived for some years, after which he crossed the Susquehanna and lived on the prop- erty now owned by Henry A. Carl. He died at that place Sept. 13, 1858, at the comparatively carly age of thirty-two years, and is buried at Dalmatia. His wife, Mary (Albert), daughter of Christian and Elizabeth (Boyer) Albert, from the neighborhood of Freeburg, Snyder county, died during the seventies, and is also buried at Dal- matia. They were the parents of three children: Franklin A .; George W., an electrie light en- gineer, now of Tacoma, Wash .; and Sophia J., who died when eight years old.
FRANKLIN A. LAHR, son of Daniel W., was born May 18, 1853, in Lower Mahanoy township. He received his early education in the public schools of Jackson township, later attended the academy at Freeburg, and improved himself considerably by study at home, being a student in fact to the present time. After leaving school he worked in the sawmill where Robert L. Rieger now lives, and followed that kind of work for ten years, in dif- ferent counties of the State, during which time he had the misfortune to lose the little finger of his left hand, which was sawed off while he was working at Shamokin. He has spent the greater part of his life at Herndon or in the immediate vicinity, and since April 4, 1893, has been en- gaged as bookkeeper at the Herndon Manufactur- ing Company, a large industrial concern giving employment to sixty-five men. Besides, he acts as local agent for the Geiser Manufacturing Com- pany, manufacturers of traction engines, threshing machines, separators and portable sawmills, and he has held a commission as notary publie since 1900; he was first appointed by Governor Stone, later by Governor Pennypacker. He has been notary public for the First National Bank of Hern- don since its organization.
Mr. Lahr has always had considerable taste for music, and through his own efforts has become proficient on several instruments, playing the piano, organ, violin and cornet, on which latter he was particularly skillful in his younger man- hood, when he gave it more attention. In 1902 he organized an orchestra of six pieces, of which he is the leader, and whose services are in constant demand in and around Herndon, furnishing the musie at many church and social affairs. Some years ago Mr. Lahr gave much of his time to teaching bands. His proficiency and high stand- ing in this field are highly creditable, for he has
380
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
acquired all his knowledge of music ont of work- Wiest and lived at Allentown; Prof. M. L. W. is a ing hours, having been obliged to support himself resident of Sunbury; Jacob is a resident of Union- town.
during his younger years when he first took up the study. The same may be said of his educa- tional acquirements in other lines, for he has done most of his studying at night, and his library is the best evidence of his inclinations. He is a thoroughi student of the Bible, and liberal in his religious views.
PROF. M. L. W. LAHIR was born June 13, 1863, and has been a resident of the borough of Sun- bury since the fall of 1900. He has been engaged in educational work throughout his active years. Having received an excellent foundation for his education in public and private schools, he attend- Mr. Lahr has been identified with many phases of the life of the borough of Herndon. Besides his business and musical connections. already ed what was then known as Central Pennsylvania College (now known as Albright College), at Myerstown, Pa., and later became a student at noted, he is a member of Washington Camp No. the Ohio Normal University, at Ada, Ohio. When 182, P. O. S. of A., and of Polaris Lodge, No. 765, I. O. O. F., both of Herndon, and was the first noble grand of the latter body. He has served as clerk of the town council since its in- corporation and organization. Politically he is not identified with any party, voting independent- ly. - eighteen years old he had begun teaching, in his native township, and he has been thus engaged ever since, at present filling his twenty-sixth term. For seven terms he was at the Dalmatia high school ; two terms at the Uniontown high school, and one term at the Mount Carmel high school, before he came to Sunbury. He is now assistant Samuel Lahr, grandfather of Prof. M. L. W. Lahr, was a farmer and lived in Little Mahanoy township, owning the place now owned by Gilbert Bobh. He is buried at Little Mahanov Church, of which he was a Lutheran member, and he held office in his congregation. His wife was Elizabeth Ferster, and they had an only son, Henry. principal of the Sunbury high school, to which position he was promoted in the fall of 1907, and put in charge of the department of modern lan- guages. Professor Lahr is an educator of high standing and proved efficiency, and his success is due to conscientious work and devotion to his du- ties, in which he is deeply interested. He is a mem- ber of the O. U. A. M. at Sunbury, and thoroughly identified with the best interests of the community.
Henry Lahr was born July 7, 1825, and died November 30, 1893, aged sixty-eight years, four In 1890 Professor Lahr married Sevilla Duben- dorf, daughter of William and Julianne (Wiest ) Dubendorf, who lived in Jordan township, this county. They have a family of five children : months, twenty-three days. He is buried at Union- town (Pillow), near which place he lived. on a farm in Lower Mahanoy township between Union- town and Byerly's. He was a lifelong fariner, Cardella, who graduated from the Sunbury high and during his long and active career had several
school in 1909 and is now engaged in teaching large farms, one of which, a valuable property, he public school in this county; Anna; Melvin ; Tru- man, and Helen. Professor Lahr and his family worship at Zion Lutheran Church at Sunbury.
sold to his son, Prof. M. L. W. Lahr. The place on which he died, previously mentioned, con- tained some twenty acres. He was a progressive man, one of the most esteemed and valuable citi- George Lahr (also recorded as Johan Georg Lahr), born July 5, 1799, lived in the territory now embraced in Jackson township and followed agricultural pursuits, owning a farm of about one hundred acres now the property of John Riegel. He was a fine wood worker, and his services in' that capacity were frequently called for. He inade many spinning wheels and wool wheels. coffins, and furniture of different kinds. He died Nov. 1, 1866, and was buried at St. Peter's Church, at Mahanoy ( now Red Cross). His wife, Catharine Dressler, daughter of Jacob Dressler, was born April 20, 1798, and died Oct. 8, 1881. Their children are all deccased : Jacob, born Aug. 25, 1824, lived in Jackson township, and died Jan. 6. 1861: Benneville ; Rebecca married Samuel B. Smith; Levi, born April 1S, 1830, lived in Jack- son township, and died Jan. 6, 1896 (his wife Mary Ann, born Sept. 30, 1833, died Sept. 28, zens of his community, interesting himself in ev- erything that concerned the general good. Heserved a number of years on the school board of Lower Mahanoy township, and was one of its most use- ful members. A Lutheran member of the Union- town Union Church, he served as trustee of that church for about a quarter of a century. His wife, Catharine (Wolf), daughter of Michael and Mary Magdalena (Latsha) Wolf, and granddaughter of Henry Latsha, a native of Colebrookdale . town- ship, Berks Co., Pa., died Oct. 26, 1906, at Union- town, at the advanced age of eighty-one years. Three sons and four daughters were born to this worthy couple: Lovina married Clinton Campbell and they live in Uniontown : Sophia married John Lesher and died in 1886 (Mr. Lesher now lives at Reading, Pa.) ; Samuel died at Valley Falls, Kans .; Mary (deceased) married Charles Shadel and lived at Fountain Spring. Schuylkill county; 1888) ; Elias is mentioned below; several died Elizabeth, who died in 1903, married Monroe
young.
381
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Elias Lahr, son of George, was a farmer and consequently remained in this country at the close carpenter. He made his home in Washington of the war. Among those who settled in this coun- township, where he followed agricultural pursuits try and here passed the remainder of their lives were the following, who are buried in the old grave- yard at Zion's Church, in Stone Valley: Nicholas Bohner, Heinrich Hepner, Adam Dockey, John Bingaman. Johan Lessman, Jacob Allman, one Ossman and one Gessner. The following are buried at Klinger's Church, which is in Schuylkill county near the Northumberland county line: Johan Schwalm ( 1752-1836), Conrad Dietz, Andraes Schmeltz, Johannes Stang, Peter Stein; and one Yund. Among other Hessian pioneers in this sec- tion were Michael Roedel (Radel), a Long, a Dornsife, and others whose descendants are num- bered among the best citizens of the Common- wealth. for many years, and he did carpentry in that and surrounding townships, building a number of barns. He was a prominent man in the locality, holding various township offices and serving as deacon and elder of St. Peter's Church, at Maha- noy, in which he held membership. Politically he was a Democrat. He is buried at Herndon (we have record of Elias T. Lahr, who died Jan. 26, 1892, aged sixty-three years, one inonth, eighteen days, and Mary, his wife, who died Feb. 21, 1910, aged seventy-two years, seven months). His wife Polly, daughter of John M. Snyder, is also deceased. They had seven children: Joriah S .; Catharine, who died in her ninth year; Amanda, who married Joel Rebuck; and four who died young.
JORIAH S. LAHR, son of Elias and Polly (Sny- der) Lahr, was born Sept. 30, 1856, in Jackson township, and was reared to farm life. He worked with his parents until after he attained his mna- jority, in 1874 commencing to farm the home- stead in Washington township for his father, and he- was engaged there four years. After that he conducted the "Parrish Hotel," at Herndon, for one year, but with this exception his time has been given to farming. From Herndon he moved to a 106-acre farm in Washington township which he purchased, and lived thirteen years on that place, after which he was a tenant at Hebe for one year and in the Swabian Creek district for one year. He was also in the Lykens valley for one year, after which he purchased the tract of eighty-seven acres in Lower Mahanoy township on which he has since made his home. This place was a Witmer homestead for many years. Mr. Lahr is a thrifty farmer and one of the substantial and respected citizens of his neighborhood.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.